


The Taste Of Blood

by ReneeLaRoux



Series: The Taste of Blood [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic, Blood, Blood Drinking, Coming In Pants, Feeding, Grinding, M/M, Sexual Content, Vampire!Arthur, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-25 00:18:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13822497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReneeLaRoux/pseuds/ReneeLaRoux
Summary: “You smell so delicious,” he whispered, licking and sucking on the delicate skin of Merlin’s throat.“Just do it already,” Merlin ground out, arms going around Arthur’s waist. Arthur chuckled darkly.“So bossy.”





	The Taste Of Blood

    Arthur never liked the word  _ monster _ . Monsters were fearsome creatures with fur and fangs and wings and claws. They were evil, intent only on killing and destroying. His father always called sorcerers monsters, always said they were dangerous and evil and only wanted to do harm to Camelot. At one time Arthur believed that and supported his father’s campaign against all things magical. But not anymore. Not now that  _ he _ was a monster, too. 

    He was fourteen when a nobleman, Lord Alister, from a neighboring kingdom visited Camelot with his daughter, Lady Linia, and a slew of servants and guards. King Uther and Lord Alister were eager to discuss a union between their children to strengthen their kingdoms’ bond. Unbeknownst to any of them, a strange creature had injected herself into Lord Alister’s party. She played the role of a simple servant, though she was far more beautiful than any servant Arthur had ever seen, with her pure white skin, flaming red hair, and piercing blue eyes. A young man with a healthy interest in the fairer sex, Arthur had become enamored with her beauty and sensuality. One night he found himself alone in a corridor with her, hoping naively to steal a kiss from this woman. He hadn’t counted on her ability to entrance and hypnotize, nor the needle-sharp fangs that appeared when she pulled his paralyzed body close.

    By the time she was finished with him, she had disappeared from the castle and Arthur had been transformed into something less than human. When the guards found him hours later, he was snarling and baring a new set of fangs. He would never forget the hunger he felt that night, the overwhelming, maddening lust for blood that haunted his every moment. His father sent him to the east wing of the castle, which was rarely inhabited by anything besides rats and dust bunnies, and locked him away for everyone’s sake. Uther declared that the Prince had fallen gravely ill and would need to be quarantined. He stayed in confinement for nearly six months, working with the Court Physician Gaius, who knew more about magical and mystical things than anyone else in the realm. Gaius told him that as a Blood-Drinker (Arthur was happy he did not use the word  _ monster _ ), his body no longer produced the blood it needed to survive. During his turning, the creature had nearly drained him, which was why he was  _ so hungry  _ in those early weeks. As time progressed his body would become better at storing and using the blood he drank, which meant that he would need less and less. 

    In the beginning he was given animal blood to drink. Since the kitchens went through plenty of pigs and cows and pheasants to feed the castle, there was a steady flow of fresh blood for Arthur. It wasn’t what he wanted – what he wanted was the rich, fragrant-smelling blood of those who visited him – but it would have to do. And it did, seeing as he was starving day and night. Sometimes he felt so hungry that his vision would blur and he would feel his fangs protrude from his gums. Slowly but surely his hunger stopped filling his every thought. Eventually he needed less and less blood, and he was able to be reintroduced into the court under careful supervision. 

    By his fifteenth birthday, he was back his normal routine as Prince of Camelot. He had gotten his…new nature…mostly under control, and Uther felt confident that his son would be able to resume his duties as a knight and in council. He had also switched to human blood, to his delight. To keep up pretenses, Uther had found him a manservant named Timmon who, along with normal duties like cleaning and laundry, would provide Arthur with his weekly blood supply. Timmon would simply make a slice on his wrist and let blood run into a goblet, which Arthur would drink from while it was still warm. Timmon would wrap his wrist with a bandage, eat some food, and take a short nap before resuming his duties. The whole arrangement worked swimmingly for nearly two years, until Timmon went and fell in love with a scullery maid and ran away with her to the country. 

    Enter Merlin, the gangly boy from the country who had become Gaius’ new apprentice. He was untalented and sassy, and yet somehow managed to save Arthur’s life when a witch tried to kill him during a banquet. Uther was so impressed with Merlin’s selflessness that he declared he would be Arthur’s new manservant, much to both Merlin and Arthur’s chagrin. 

    “He doesn’t even know what he’s getting into,” Arthur tried to reason with his father the next day. “Shouldn’t he have the right to decide?” 

    “I’ve made my decision, Arthur,” Uther said firmly. “A man who would sacrifice himself for you is a man you should keep close.”

    “But father-“

    “No, Arthur. I’ve given Gaius instruction to prepare him for that particular aspect of his duties. He knows what he’s being asked to do.”

    Just because he knew, didn’t mean he was okay with it. When Merlin reported for duty that afternoon his hands were shaking. Where was the brave, confident boy now? 

    “I’m sorry that you have to do this,” Arthur told him honestly. “I’ve tried to talk to my father, but he’s made up his mind.”

    “It’s okay,” Merlin said quietly. “Gaius explained everything. It can’t be that bad.”

    And it wasn’t. It was certainly unusual, and it was certainly uncomfortable at times, but it wasn’t bad. Merlin was a terrible manservant. In fact, he was the worst that Arthur had ever seen. But his blood…his blood was the most delicious thing Arthur had ever tasted. He nearly licked the goblet clean the first time he’d drunk of his manservant’s blood. Merlin watched him from the bed, where he was looking rather pale.

    “I know, I’m a monster,” Arthur said bitterly, setting the goblet on the tray.

    “Not a monster,” Merlin said; his voice rung with conviction. 

    They settled into a routine. Merlin would arrive in his chambers in the morning and tend to his duties while Arthur was training with the knights, or attending council meetings with his father. Merlin would often accompany him on hunting trips or patrols, and always seemed to be around when Arthur found himself in a spot of trouble. And Merlin was always ready to give his blood to his prince. It wasn’t long before Arthur learned of Merlin’s magic. He couldn’t find it within him to be angry, or to tell his father. They were both freaks of nature, both seen as monsters in the eyes of the King (Uther would never say so in front of Arthur, but the prince knew his father’s mind on his condition). Their secrets pulled them closer together, and Arthur didn’t feel so alone anymore. 

    Arthur didn’t know when his feelings for Merlin began to change. He supposed it was gradual. Probably the result of spending so much time with the boy. But when he looked at his manservant, he didn’t just see a tall, skinny fellow who knocked stuff over and liked to talk a lot. He saw a body that was strong despite its slenderness, and hair as dark as night, and eyes as deep as the ocean. He saw a perfect mouth that begged to be kissed senseless, and heard a voice that could send a chill down his spine when it whispered into his ear. He wanted to feel Merlin’s hands in his, his arms around him, more than he could express. But he couldn’t. It wasn’t done, a royal and a servant. And he doubted Merlin even felt the same way. After all, Arthur was a Blood-Drinker. Even if Merlin wasn’t prejudiced, surely there was still an element of discomfort with that fact?

    He got his answer the night he made his first big slip-up since becoming a Blood-Drinker. It had been a long day. He had spent most of his waking hours in council meetings, debating new laws and actions with his father and his advisors. On top of it, the last several days had been consumed with preparing for the arrival of royal guests and the many festivities that would be required. He hadn’t had the chance to feed at his normal time, and before he knew it, he was sitting in the council chambers with one thing on his mind – blood. He could hear the heartbeats of everyone around him, could smell their essence, could practically taste their blood on his tongue. But he did not want to appear weak before his father and those he would one day rule over. Instead, he waited until they were dismissed for the evening. Seeing red, he practically ran all the way to his chambers. 

    He smelled Merlin before he saw him, the sweet aroma of his blood practically singing his name. His manservant was polishing his helmet at the table when Arthur burst into the room. 

    “Arthur!” Merlin saw his red eyes and gasped. “What happened?”

    “Waited too long…starving…” Arthur growled, his stomach lurching in pain. He reached Merlin in two seconds, hands grasping at his shoulders. "Please, I need-"  


    “Then feed, Sire,” Merlin said quietly. 

    “I can’t wait for you to bleed into a goblet…” Arthur couldn’t imagine waiting another ten seconds, let alone another ten minutes while Merlin's precious blood was drained into a metal cup. Merlin saw the blatant need in his master’s eyes and made a decision. 

    “You don’t have to,” Merlin said simply. He took Arthur’s hand and led him to the bed. Merlin lay down and spread himself out. “Take what you need from me, Sire.”

    Under normal circumstances, Arthur would have objected. But this wasn’t a normal circumstance, and he didn’t need to be told twice. He climbed over Merlin and straddled his thighs, the anticipation already strumming through his veins. Reaching down, he roughly pulled at the hem of Merlin's tunic, lifting it over his manservant's head, taking the silly neckerchief with it. There, that was better - the creamy expanse of Merlin's skin was on full display, from hip to throat. In his heightened state he could see the deep red blood pumping just under the surface of that pristine white skin. He let out a whine as he pulled Merlin into his arms and nuzzled into his neck. 

    “You smell so delicious,” he whispered, licking and sucking on the delicate skin of Merlin’s throat. 

    “Just do it already,” Merlin ground out, arms going around Arthur’s waist. Arthur chuckled darkly.

    “So bossy,” he muttered. Now that he had what he wanted just in his grasp, the monster in him was coming out. The monster wanted to play with his food. He traced a finger over the thumping artery, bringing the hairs across Merlin's body on edge. Lips trailed the area, placing soft kisses across the skin he would soon break. He licked and sucked until he just couldn’t take it any longer. The hunger, the animal nature of his curse, was fully in control now. He felt his fangs sliding out over his teeth. 

    Arthur had never once fed directly from a human. He never knew what a powerful, sensual,  _ arousing _ experience it was until this moment. The act of sinking his fangs into Merlin’s thumping artery was more intimate than he ever imagined. The first spurt of blood flooding his mouth made him dizzy with delight. How could one person be so  _ delicious _ ? He tightened his arms around Merlin and suckled hard, drawing more of his manservant’s decadent life force into his mouth. He felt himself becoming aroused, hard cock trapped between their bodies. He never knew drinking from someone could be so  _ pleasurable _ . With each pull of Merlin's blood, Arthur found himself unable to stop the grinding of his hips.  


    Beneath him Merlin was moaning and gasping. It hurt like hell to having a pair of fangs inside your vein, but he would never tell Arthur to stop. He was lightheaded and dizzy and seeing black spots, but pleasure was strumming through his body, to his fingers and toes and through every inch of skin. He didn’t even realize he was hard until he felt Arthur’s own erection grinding against his, sending shocks of pleasure through him. He moaned; he had never felt so good in his life. Each pull, each suckle of blood into Arthur’s mouth, drew him closer to the edge. 

    Their grinding grew frantic even as Arthur took his last gulp of blood. On instinct, he began to lick over the wounds he had made, which drove Merlin even deeper into lust. There was something so primal, so animal-like about this experience, and it was thoroughly titillating. His cock was harder than he had ever remembered being, his trousers soaked with pre-cum. He felt nothing but the slide of Arthur's erection against his, and the friction of rough fabric against his heated skin. He smelled nothing but the blood and the sweat and a muskiness that was uniquely Arthur. He heard nothing but the moans and grunts of his prince above him, finding his pleasure as desperately as Merlin was. 

    Between their grinding and Arthur lapping at his tingling skin, it didn’t take long for Merlin to find his release. He came in his trousers, groaning and trembling, hands digging into Arthur’s waist. Feeling the flood of hot cum seep through the fabric of his breeches was all it took to send Arthur off the edge. He came with a shout, burying his face in Merlin’s neck as shudders ran through him. 

    Merlin couldn’t tell you how long they lay in that position, breathing deeply and clinging to one another. All he knew was that it felt good to have Arthur lying next to him, so close he could feel the soft puff of breath against his neck. He was just beginning to doze when he heard Arthur whisper,

     “I’m never drinking from a goblet again.”

    Merlin wholeheartedly agreed.

**Author's Note:**

> I just really like vampires. Let me know if you would like to see more vampire!fics


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